The Anaheim Ducks entered their first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers leaning on a mix of youth and veteran experience, with captain Radko Gudas leading the Ducks in their return to the postseason after seven years missing it.
Going against an Oilers team coming off consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, the Ducks would be happy to have some experience across their lineup.
Anaheim’s veterans were counted on to steady a roster with limited playoff exposure, and that's what happened in the regular season as four players aged 30 or older topped 1,145 time on ice (top-12 among Ducks players), with two of them ranking in the team's top five.
However, in Game 1 of the first-round series against Edmonton, the Ducks' experience couldn't beat the Oilers in a 4-3 loss.
Gudas already saw limited action on Monday, logging just 9:40 of ice time and well below his regular-season average, and the Ducks captain will miss Game 2 entirely.
According to TSN's Ryan Rishaugh, Anaheim has already ruled out for Wednesday's game in Edmonton.
Although the Ducks have not disclosed the nature of Gudas' injury, he had already missed time late in the regular season with a lower-body issue, sitting out multiple games in March and April before returning for the playoff opener.
In Gudas' place, 25-year-old defenseman Drew Helleson is expected to make his playoff debut, per Zach Cavanagh.
Helleson appeared in 60 regular-season games, recording two goals and 13 assists, as well as 20 penalty minutes with a 16:58 average time on ice.
Gudas finished the season with two goals, 11 assists, and 67 penalty minutes across 56 games, while contributing on the penalty kill, and recorded a shot, two hits and a blocked shot on Monday.
Anaheim trails the series 1-0 and will look to respond without its captain in Game 2, scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.
